Crutch.



No. 835,108. PATENTE'D NOV. 6, 1.906.

. P. s HOVIS.

GRUTOH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22. 1906.

WI NESSES.-

' as will be tachment.

.4, Fig. 1.

- the crutch, H the handhol UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PARK S. HOVIS', OF BUTLER,PENNSYLVANIA, A'SSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF v TO JOHN A. RIGHEY, OF BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA. I

" CRUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Nov. 6,1906.

Application filed January 22, 1906- Serial No- 297,342.

sylvania, have invented a new and useful Crutch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to crutches, and more particularly to one of that class having combined with it a rod or s ur that is adapted to be projected l eyond t e tip of the crutch to provide a safeguard against slip age.

T e ob'ect of the present invention is to simplify t e construction. of the s ur attach.- ment, to increase its efficiency, an to obviate the necessity of the employment of springs or other mechanisms for projectin the rod or for retracting it within the con nes 0 the tip. l

With the above and other objects in view,

as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a non-sli ping attachment for crutches. hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and 1n which like characters of-reference indicate correspondlng parts, Figure 1 is a view in. elevation of a crutch equipped with the improvements of thepresent mvention. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, showing the normal position of the parts of the s ur at- Fig. 3 is a similar view s owing the position of the arts when they are shifted either to throw t e spur without the tip or to withdraw it within the tip. Fig. 4 1s a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4 Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of a part of the attachment:

Referring to the drawin s, C designates thereof, and T the usual rubber tip, and as these parts may be of the ordinary construction further descri tion thereof is deemed unnecessary.

T e invention resides in the novel form of non-slipping attachment for the crutch, and this consists of a pointed spur member 1, a stem 2, provided with a handle 3, and a cou ling 4, uniting the spur member with t e stem. The spur member is seated in a bore formed in the lower portion of the crutch,

while the handle 3- is dis osed adjacent'to the handhold H. The han le is normally in the position shown in Fig. 1 that is, it lies withm the plane of the sides of the crutch-bars,- and thus does not present an obstruction, the same being true whether the spur be pro jected or retracted.

The coupling 4 is counterbored, the bore in the upper end being the larger and is engaged by the lower end of the stern, which,

as shown in Fig. 4, is approximately rectan- 4 gular in cross-section; The stem projects through a locking member 5, whic is approximately yoke-shaped' and is secured to the crutch-bars by bolts or screws 6, as shown in Fig. 1. The side members of the lock are seated in depressions in the opposed faces of the crutch-bars; but this is not essential, as they may lie flat against these bars and still be within the scope of the invention.

The locking member 5 is provided with an 7 5 approximately rectangular orifice 7, that extends longitudinally of the base of the member and is of a length to receive the flattened portion f the stem, thereby to permit the spur memberto be projected or retracted, as may be found necessary or desirable.

As will be observed by reference to Figs. 2 and 3, the lower end of the stem carries a head 9, that is circular incross-section and is of reater diameter than the orifice 7 in the in member, so that the attachment as a whofia will be prevented from dropping or passing through the locking member 5. In order. to permit of the stem being turned through one-quarter ofa circle, thus to bring the flattened portion 8 in position to move in the orifice 7, the said portion adjacent to its point of juncture with the head'9 is circumferentially reduced at 10 toforma neck that will easily turn in the orifice.

As will bereadily understood by reference to Fig. 4, the spur member is first introduced through the lower endlofthe crutch and en'- gages with the coupling. The lower portion of the stem is then passed through the orifice IOO in the locking member, and the latter is secured in posltion by the bolts or rivets 6, after whichthe stem is turned to cause its lower threaded end to engage with the coupling. By the provision of the coupling the spur member may be adjusted to compen- When the spur member is not in use, it is drawn up into the bore in the lower portion of the crutch, and when it is to be used the handle is given a quarter-turn to bring the fiat portion 8 to register with the orifice in the locking member. The stem is then pushed down to project the spur member and is then again turned to secure the neck in the orifice and to hold the spur against any movement.

The improvementsv herein defined while simple in character will be found thoroughly effective for the purposes desi ed and may be applied to an ordinar crut i without any change in its structura arrangement other than the provision of a bore to receive the spur member and of the seats and orifices to receive the locking member and bolts for holding it in position.

It w1ll be noted that there is no mechanical means provided for holding the spur member in its retracted position, and this is not necessary, as the frictional contact between the spur and the walls of the orifice of the tip will operate positively to hold the spur out of engagement wlth the ground when its use is not desired.

I claim A crutch havin a locking member attached to the crutc -bars, said member having an elongated orifice, a stem having a flattened section which is adapted to slide through the said orifice but which is held against rotation therein, said stem having at the upper end of said flattened section a cylindrical section which is adapted to enter said orifice and rotate therein, and a spur member attached to said stem.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature In the presence of two witnesses.

PARK S. HOVIS.

Witnesses:

J. W. IIUTCHISON, CHAS. H. MILLER. 

